1 O THOU the God of all my praise, Do thou not hold thy peace;2 For mouths of wicked men to speak Against me do not cease: The mouths of vile deceitful men Against me opened be; And with a false and lying tongue They have accused me.

3 They did beset me round with words Of hatred and of spite; And, though to them no cause I gave, Against me they did fight.4 They for my love became my foes: I set myself to pray.5 Evil for good, hatred for love, To me they did repay.

6 Set thou the wicked over him; And upon his right hand Against him in the judgment let The adversary stand.7 And when by thee he shall be judged, Let him condemned be; And let his prayer sin become When he shall call on thee.

8 Few be his days, and in his room His charge another take.9 His children let be fatherless, His wife a widow make.10 His children let be vagabonds, And beg continually; And from their places desolate Seek bread for their supply.

11 Let covetous extortioners Catch all he hath away: Of all for which he laboured hath Let strangers make a prey.12 Let there be none to pity him, Let there be none at all That on his children fatherless Will let his mercy fall.

13 Let his posterity from earth Cut off for ever be, And in the next age let their name Be blotted out by thee.14 Let God his father's wickedness Still to remembrance call; And never let his mother's sin Be blotted out at all.

15 But let them all before the Lord Appear continually, That he may wholly from the earth Cut off their memory.16 Because he mercy minded not, But persecuted still The poor and needy, that he might The broken-hearted kill.

17 As he in cursing pleasure took, So doth it to him fall; As he delighted not to bless, He is not blest at all.18 As cursing he like clothes puts on, Into his bowels so, Like water, and into his bones, Like oil, it down doth go.

19 Like to the garment let it be Which doth himself array, And for a girdle, wherewith he Is girt about alway.20 From God let this be their reward That enemies are to me. And their reward that speak against My soul maliciously.

21 But for thine own name's sake, deal thou, O God the Lord, with me: Since good thy loving-kindness is, From trouble set me free.22 For I am poor and indigent, Afflicted sore am I, My heart within me also is Wounded exceedingly.

23 I pass like a declining shade, I'm like the locust tossed:24 My knees through fasting weakened are, My flesh hath fatness lost.25 I also am a vile reproach Unto them made to be; And they that do upon me look Do shake their heads at me.

26 O thou, who art the Lord my God, An helper be to me; And, for thy tender mercy's sake, Do thou my Saviour be.27 That thereby they may know that this Is thy almighty hand; And that thou, Lord, hast done the same They may well understand.

28 Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord, Bless thou with loving voice: Let them asham'd be when they rise; Thy servant let rejoice.29 Let thou mine adversaries fierce With shame be clothed all; And, as a mantle, over them Let their confusion fall.

30 But as for me, I with my mouth Will greatly praise the Lord; And I among the multitude His praises will record.31 For at the right hand of the poor Shall stand the Lord most high, To save him from all those that would Condemn his soul to die.

1 ¬∂ Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.6 ¬∂ Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.21 ¬∂ But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.